If the thought of packing for a move is already stressing you out, you've come to the right place. Here, find brilliant tips, tricks, and shortcuts to make moving to your next place easier than ever.

Have a garage sale or donate things ASAP

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“Don’t wait until the weekend before you move to host a garage sale,” say Ali Wenzke, moving expert and founder of The Art of Happy Moving. “While you may sell your knickknacks, large furniture items often remain unsold. You don’t want to spend your last week in your city trying to hunt down buyers for your things. Also, many charities require one to two weeks for donation pick-ups.” Joe Dux, project management team leader at Martin CFS, a moving company, agrees: “Getting rid of old or unnecessary clutter will not only make hiring a professional mover less expensive, but also give you a little extra cash and a lot more room for things you actually want. This simple step really tackles a handful of problems.” A good place to start is your closet. Here are the top rules to keep in mind when deciding which clothes to keep or toss.

Label everything in excruciating detail

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“It’s helpful to label boxes ‘living room’ or ‘kitchen,’ but you’ll also want to know what’s inside the boxes,” says Wenzke. Add an extra label describing what’s inside the box to save yourself time (and sanity) when unpacking. Knowing everything’s place is one of the best packing tips for moving because you won’t have to scramble for your most-used items. If you’re using professional movers, here’s what to look out for so you don’t fall for moving company scams.